The Casual Hook
by Prplmoon
Summary: Of course we've thought about stopping, but...I guess we casually got hooked" Derek & Casey have a secret they promise not to tell anyone. What happens when Derek lets it slip to Paul? When it becomes to hard to hide? DASEY, DV/OC, CM/OC
1. Car Fight

**Disclainor: **I don't own Life With Derek, if i did Derek and Casey so would have dated on it.

**Summary: **Derek and Casey have a secret way to deal with things and they both promise not to tell it to anyone. But what happens, when Derek let's it slip to Paul? What happens when someone's feeling begin to change? What happens when it begins to become to hard to hide?

**A/N: **GREAT NEWS!!!!! I should have my Laptop Virus Free By the end of the month!!!! SO UPDATES FOR MY OTHER STORIES WILL BE A DEFINITE!!!!!! OH YEAH ;)

_Italics:_ thought

**_Bold Italic:_** flashback

**Paul P.O.V.**

The whole point of their Casual Hook's was to relieve stress and release energy- both good and bad. According to Derek, if they didn't get to do this, the house goes to the deep end. Lizzie and Edwin go into another one of their strikes, George and Nora would start to doubt their parenting skills and overanalyze each small thing and Marti . . . well she would stay the same, but you get the point.

**Derek P.O.V.**

I honk the horn for the umpteenth time as I wait for my step sister in the driveway. For some reason it takes her five minutes to finish homework and yet an eternity to get ready. I honk the horn again.

"Casey let's go!" I shout out of the window. Looking back at the front door, I see her grade ten self scamper to the car. Her hair is in a neat bun and she's wearing a different outfit than earlier. As usual though, her oversized book bag hangs off her shoulder and shoelaces are untied. And she wonders why she always falls?

"I'm here okay." She huffs jumping into the Prince.

"You went back into the bathroom didn't you?" I question testily, staring at her.

"Because of a certain athlete, I had to do an emergency touch up." She expresses looking me straight in the eye.

"You're shoes are untied." I point out, ignoring her statement and pulling out of the drive. She bends down in her seat, beginning to re-lace.

**Casey P.O.V.**

_And so it begins: the Car Fight._ I think to myself while tightly tying my shoes.

It seems like whenever we have what I call a'Casual Hook" in the morning, an argument insues. I've pointed this out to Derek, but he just says: "You're just overthinking again Casey. We're Derek and Casey- all we do is fight." Secretly I think he believes I'm right, because in the car ride after we casually hook in the morning, he either changes the subject, turns up the radio or asks about the weather. I'm used to it by now, but it's still annoying.

**Derek P.O.V.**

Out of the corner of my eye, I see her finish tying her shoes and pull out a book from her book bag. The topic of what happened this morning, clearly out of her mind. I sigh to myself inwardly, happy to have escaped another of Casey's Car Fights (for some reason whenever we "Casual Hook" as she puts it in the morning, she becomes majorly defensive. I try to clear my head and refocus on driving.

_"**Derek I have to finish packing my bag and not to mention I promised Max I'd print our book report." Casey complains while running back and forth across her room gathering stuff, and placing them into a blue book bag on the side of her bed. I lay back comfortably on the bed, watching her hysteria in enjoyment.**_

**_"It'll take two seconds to pack and you can print the report during." I express in an obvious tone, but she just shoots me an annoyed frown. I get off the bed and walk to her. "What's five minutes?" I persuade._**

**Casey P.O.V.**

_It was more than five minutes._ I snap at myself, unable to keep my mind on my book.

He does this all the time. Lying about how long it'll be. Unfortunately I guess I can't exactly blame him. I mean I foolishly believe him- **always**. And why is that? I mean he is Derek Venturi, the King of Liars. If i know he's a liar, why take his word? I put the book back in my bag, giving up on reading.

"What's that?" Derek asks pointing at my neck. We were at a red light and school was two blocks away. Quickly I pull down the mirror flap and peer over the area.

"A hickey!" My eyes become glued to the perfectly circled bruise located visibly below the side of my chin. Before the light turns green, Derek reaches into the glove compartment and takes out a tube of makeup foundation.

"Cover up Princess." I take the foundation out of his hand without diverting my eyes from the mirror.

"You know if you hadn't rushed me out of the house, I would have been able to see this before." I snap. "And can you not suck on my neck?" I add impatiently while applying the hickey remover.

"Can you not grab my back?" he retorts. "You're hands are ice cold. Haven't you been doing those hand exercises I told you about?"

"Apparently they don't work." I rejoinder, letting loose my hair from its tight bun. "And I'd finally had the perfect bun to." I cry in anger.

**Derek P.O.V.**

"The point in getting that foundation was so you wouldn't have to wear your hair out." I remind her, not hiding my irritation on the matter. She goes into her book bag and reaches for a brush.

"But I still feel like it's visible if I don't." she explains. "It doesn't hurt-"

"'-to be careful'." I finish for her. "You've only told me a thousand times." We drive into the school parking lot and I easily park in my official parking spot.

"I really hate this." She states frankly as she brushes her hair evenly on both sides.

"Of course." I sarcastically agree while unbuckling my seatbelt. Casey shoots me a teed off look and gets out of the car, slamming the door behind her.


	2. Those Green Vanda Orchid Eyes

**Disclaimor: **I don't own Life With Derek, if i did Derek and Casey so would have dated on it.

**A/N: **thanks for reviewing and reading guys! Enjoy!!!!

_Italics:_ thought

**Casey P.O.V.**

"Explain to me again why I tolerate one Derek Venturi?" I ask my best friend Emily, as she goes through her locker carelessly inserting textbooks.

"Because your mother's happiness, is more important than yours." She answers monotonously. It isn't exactly unusual for me to ask her this question after a car ride with Derek.

"Right," I sigh, quickly getting over my anger. "Did you see Aiden?!" I change the subject excitedly. Emily turns to me and gives me her 'poor Casey' look. "I'm going to take that as a 'no'." I continue, choosing to ignore her expression. Aiden Clarke, MMMMM. What can I say to describe the five foot ten senior? Every perfect word under the sun, that's what I can say. Yes, Aiden Clarke is most definitely the object of my affection. His golden blonde hair, mixed with those green vanda orchid eyes and broad shoulders. Ohhhhhh. "He was sitting on the steps with the rest of In Crowd, wearing his yellow shirt." I sigh dreamily. "You know the one that makes his green eyes pop more than usual?" Emily shakes her head weakly. "What?" I cave.

"Casey we've been over this." She says earnestly. "Aiden Clarke is a senior. You are a sophomore. Where he is repeating Spanish, you are taking it ahead of schedule. I tell you this because we're best friends." She rubs my arm gently, while hinting heavily.

"So maybe he's not the brightest guy, but that can all change!" I encourage trying to ignore her points.

"Casey you're a keener." She states flatly.

"I'm not that keen." I weakly defend.

"Hey guys!" Emily and I turn to see our best friend, football athlete Max Miller.

"Max, quick question" Emily starts. "What do you call a sophomore taking year three Spanish?" The athlete glances to me and starts to blush.

"I'd rather not say exactly." Hearing his response, I sink against the row of lockers.

"I really am a keener aren't I?" I ask out loud to no one in particular.

"It only took you fifteen years to realize that?" I hear a familiar voice taunt.

"De-rek!"

**Derek P.O.V.**

"Max you coming to the steps or what?" I disregard my stepsister's plea and talk straight to her best friend.

"He can't." Casey speaks out grabbing his arm. "We have to run to the library and finish our report."

"Finish our report?" Max asks confused. I'm guessing Casey didn't tell him yet.

"There was a glitch with our printer this morning." I lie for her knowing that she was awful at the trade.

"Exactly!" She eagerly agrees. "Now come on Max, let's go. See you later Em." Casey speeds away, dragging the poor footballer with her.

"I really don't see what he sees in her." I point out to Emily. It was common knowledge (except to Casey) that Max had a crush on her. It was actually kind of sad. I mean the guys a star athlete and can have any girl in school. Who does he choose? A keener- and not just any keener, a Sophomore keener, who only joined cheerleading because she lost a bet to me.

"Casey's a great person and you know it." Emily happily explains. "And according to one of my Study Hall Polls, guys find a woman who is oblivious to their feelings pretty attractive." I roll my eyes.

"Yeah that is attractive." I sarcastically agree, before patting the sophomore on the shoulder and heading towards the Steps, where lay the In Crowd.

As I approach, I see that everyone is present. My current girlfriend April Sutton and her cheerleader lackeys, my best friends Sam and Ralph and the other musicians and of course jocks. Not to mention one Aiden Clarke. Captain of the Field Hockey team since freshmen year, three times in a row Prom King and all around ladies man- you know after me.

He's blonde, tall, built broad and has –as Casey puts in her diary- 'eyes so green, that you'd think you were in a spring field filled with green Vanda Orchids" whatever that means. I go to the bottom step and sit near Sam and Ralph.

"D-man!" Aiden calls out, interrupting his own conversation with Sawyer Waynes, Casey's fellow sophomore cheerleading friend. "Tell me again how awesome I was last week!"

"Enough Aiden!" April demands in an annoyed tone, midway through filing her nails. "Don't encourage him Derek, he's been going off all morning about that stupid game."

"You didn't say it was so stupid last week Pom-poms." Aiden goads.

"Oh shush!" She retorts, tossing her nail filer at him.

"Hey be careful guys!" Sawyer speaks up. "You could've poked an eye out April!"

"Calm down grandma." April's best friend Elaine teases. "It's plastic." Sawyer picks up the tool and inspects it.

"But still . . ." She trails off, slowly turning red.

"It's cool Saw," Aiden comforts gazing deep into her eyes. "Plastic can be just as harmful as metal." Sawyer turns even redder and hurriedly excuses herself. nearly tripping over me on her way out.

"Now you know that she's in love with you," Sam reminds the jock. "Why would you do that?"

"I'm just giving her hope."Aiden shrugs with a smirk.

"False hope." Elaine expresses pointedly.

"Hope nonetheless Elaine, hope nonetheless." He concludes, beginning to get up from his place on the stairs.

"Clarke, you're terrible." April's other cheerleader lackey Brenna Finch laughs.

**Casey P.O.V.-**

**_Later That Day . . ._**

"I'm sorry again Max," I apologize to my English partner for the umpteenth time. We'd handed in our report on time and were headed toward cheerleading and football practice.

"Casey its fine, really." He repeats again.

"No it's not. I feel like I've let you down and friends don't let other friends down." I push.

"Right . . . friends." He replicates in a low tone. "I've got to stop by my locker Casey, I'll see you on the field." Max darts around the corner before I can agree. Turning back in the direction of the said field, I witness a meeting between Derek's girlfriend April and the object of my affection Aiden. They are leaning against a row of lockers, not paying anyone attention.

"April!" I call out catching their eyes.

"Hey Keekee." She heart fully addresses me.

"Keekee?" Aiden asks curiously as I near the two.

"Keekee because she's a keener." April answers simply. "Casey McDonald, Aiden Clarke. Aiden Clarke, Casey McDonald." She introduces.

"Casey McDonald?" He thinks, looking me over. "I think we have a class together." I slowly blush.

"Yeah . . . um, Spanish."

"Yet proof that she's a keener, because she's only a sophomore and is in year three of the language." April points out.

"I don't know about that Aps," the field hockey star disagrees. "I mean it's not bad to be overly bright." I blush again. _Was he coming to my defense? Does he really think I'm not a keener? Does he think keeners are cool?_

"Whatever." April says wanting to change the topic. "What's up's Keekee, whatcha need?"

"I . . . uh didn't see you in science today, so I wanted to give you the notes." I swiftly reach into my bag and take out my notebook. April laughs and pats me on the head.

"Gosh you're so cute!" She cries out, accepting the notebook. "I'll give them back to you later."

"Uh Casey, do you have notes from Spanish perhaps?" Aiden casually asks.

"Uh . . . yeah," I choke out.

"Cool. Maybe I should borrow them sometimes." He considers, shrugging his shoulders.

"Yeah you should- now let's go." April pushes past Aiden and trots of to the field, we follow close behind.


	3. Some Sick Joke

**Disclainor: **I don't own Life With Derek, if i did Derek and Casey so would have dated on it.

**Summary: **There are different views to the relationship of Derek and Casey. There's Derek view and then there's Casey view. What more is there to say? Slight AU. Dasey. Please R&R!!!

**A/N: THANKS FOR ALL THE REVIEWS AND ALERTS GUYS AND DOLLS!!! YOU ROCK!!!**

_Italics:_ thought

**Derek P.O.V.**

"Hey Venturi." Aiden Clarke walks up to me on the field, as the hockey and field hockey teams do joint practices.

"How's it hanging Clarke?" I greet back while bending over to tie my shoes.

"Pretty good." He thinks rubbing his hands together. "Could I ask you a question?" I look up at him skeptically.

"It depends." I reason cautiously.

"No need for flare guns my man," He eases. "I just want to know if you know anything about a Casey McDonald? Apparently she's in our Spanish class." I finish tying my shoes and stare him in the eyes.

"My stepsister?" I laugh.

"She's your step-sister?" He asks in shock.

"Dude, where have you been for the past two years?" I know the guy wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed but still. I mean it's common knowledge to everyone in school that Casey and I are step siblings.

"Apparently somewhere else," He accepts. "Anyway what can you tell me about the brunette?" He gazes at me expectantly.

**Casey P.O.V.**

I push my step brother off of me and straighten my shirt. The time's a little after six and we were in the garage of the McDonald-Venturi home. It's Tuesday, so no one will be home until at least 6:30 the latest.

"That was just what I needed." I sigh comfortably, before beginning to jump over the row of seats in the Prince, to get to the passenger seat that held my book bag.

"Hold on a sec Thumper," Derek bellows curiously while grasping my wrist. I reluctantly fall back into the back row.

"Yeah?" I ask cheerily eager. "I have to call Em." Once more, I start to climb over the Prince, but my step-brother grabs me yet again.

"We're done?" He questions, further ruffling his already tussled hair.

"Uh, pretty much." I smile easily before successfully escaping his grip and jumping to the front.

"So you pounce me and then leave me hanging?" He recollects as I take my hairbrush out of my bag and pull down the mirror.

"Again- pretty much." I laugh at the obviousness.

"May I ask why?"

"I have all this new found energy and I don't want to just blow it on one thing." I stop brushing and put the tool back into my bag. "So I'll clean my room, cook dinner for tonight- I don't think Edwin would mind-, call Emily- oh! And start on my extra credit for math. Yeah, that's sounds like the perfect plan." I whisper to myself before grinning back at Derek and closing the mirror.

"All of this because of Aiden?" He asks skeptically.

"No not just _'because of Aiden_'." I rebuff. "I finally asked April to put me in a pyramid routine- and not as one of the tumblers- like actually in the pyramid and . . ." I hold my breath for anticipation. "she put me as a base for the Sparrow Pyramid!" The Sparrow Pyramid is- to me at least- one of the team's hardest pyramids on account of it includes both a combination of the classic and straight-legs-pyramid styles. Derek looks at me with knowing eyes. "Granted it's not the top, but we equally know that with my fear of heights that that'd be impossible."

"Casey," Derek starts. "Stop lying, because we 'equally' know that you're terrible at it." I feel my face turn red.

"I'm not lying!" I defend. "I am in the Sparrow Pyramid! Why would I lie about such a thing? For that matter why would I lie anyway?" I stare at him in anger.

"Not about that!" He corrects. "About Aiden Clarke. And how just because he asked me about you, you've gone all Mary Poppins." I roll my eyes at this jab.

"I have not gone all Mary Poppins."

"I quote: '_I'll clean my room, cook dinner for tonight, call Emily- oh! And start on my extra credit for math_.'." He smirks. Giving him a glare, I pick up my bag, leave the car and head into the house.

. . .

"I'm telling you Em!" I cry to my best friend, while cooking a pot of spaghetti for dinner. I had been successful in convincing my younger stepbrother to let me prepare dinner for the night and did an excellent job on my extra credit assignment- which I finished early.

"Not to be pessimistic Case, but . . . it seems hard to believe." She slowly admits.

"How?"

"Well . . . how does a guy go through half a year without noticing a person in their class and how does a person go to our school and not know that you and Derek are related?"

"Step siblings Emily- no blood relation thank goodness." I pick up the pot from the stove and begin to drain the noodles.

"Then you say Derek told you all of this?" Emily ignores my fact and continues onward with her defense. "Since when does Derek tell you anything? For that matter set you up with anyone?" I put down the pot and think this over.

"Well he did help with Sam and me." I defend half heartedly.

"Yeah- after he made up that whole Male-Code-thingy." She brings back to memory. "And made you look like some wacko with an obsessive crush." I bite my lip in fret.

"Not a wacko precisely." I fight weakly. "Plus I didn't exactly do my best to hide my feelings." I pick up the pot and bring it back to the stove.

"Casey." Emily moans.

"Emily I've gotta go, call you later." Hurriedly I hang up the phone. "Dinner's ready!"

_Was Em making a point? Was this all a cruel prank by my step-brother? The same guy that tried to keep me from his best friend and yet got me together with said friend? _My breathing gets quicker. _But what about today in the hallway, when Aiden said that it wasn't so bad to be overly knowledgeable?_ I feel the beating of my heart in the pipes of my neck.

"You okay?" Looking up I see Derek with a stack of dishes in his hands. I forgot it was his night to set the table. "You're all red in the face and don't look to hot." I nod my head eagerly, but it just makes me light headed. Derek drops the dishes on the island and rushes to where mom keeps the lunch bags. "Breathe into this," he orders taking one and pulling it over my face.

I begin to feel my heartbeat slide back down to my chest and the heat from my face turn cooler. I inhale and exhale deeply into the lunch bag that smells strongly of peanut butter and jelly, becoming calmer and less panicky. "What the heck was that Casey?" Derek criticizes, removing the bag from my face and dropping it in the sink for someone else to clean later.

**Derek P.O.V.**

"Is this all some sick joke?!" Casey quickly finds her voice and lashes out at me.

"What?"

"Is what you said about Aiden asking you about me some sick joke?" She glares and steps closer. "Because if it is, it isn't funny."

"Yeah I think we all know how serious you take your crushes McDonald." I point out strongly. This gets me a shove from Casey.

"Shut up Derek! I'm serious!" Her face turns red.

"Calm down!" I hold up my hands in defense. "This isn't some sick joke, now what has gotten into you? An hour ago you were bouncing off the walls and now you're just about ready to start World War III." She sighs.

"I was talking to Emily-"

"Well that solves that problem." I whisper sarcastically.

"What's that suppose to mean?!" My step-sister plays dumb. It isn't exactly a secret that I'm not a big fan of Emily Davis- at least to Casey it isn't. Ever since I caught her avoiding Casey after the Klutzilla incident, I've been wary of her.

"I think you know what it means Princess." I pick up the dishes on the island and head to the dinner table; she follows close behind with dinner in her hands. "All Emily does is put thoughts into your head and make you doubt yourself."

"No she doesn't!" Casey defends. "She's just a realist." Setting the table, I keep my eyes on Casey.

"If realist means someone who really likes to be around somebody they feel is socially lower than them, then yes Emily is a realist. Table's ready!" I call out to the household. Casey plops the food on the table.

"You make no sense what so ever!" She then storms up stairs and slams her bedroom door behind her.

"JUST LIKE ALL OUR CONVERSATIONS!" I shout back.


End file.
